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If you want to cook something more complex than instant noodles, you're going to need certain skills. And a TikTok user who goes by the name Stove and Garden is here to help you figure out which ones.

He has worked in the restaurant industry and recently started sharing little hacks that instantly make you a better chef. From handling kitchenware to preparing meats and veggies, Stove and Garden's tips touch upon pretty much any topic you can imagine and they're racking up millions of views. Continue scrolling and check them out!

More info: TikTok | Instagram

Here's the last video of the series that has earned this cooking hacker 410,000 followers

@stoveandgarden

Highly Requested HACKS #cookinghacks #cookingtips #food

♬ original sound - Stove Garden
#1

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones When you're cooking broccoli, don't throw away the stalk. Trim off the edges, cut them into match sticks, cook them in a pan with a little soy sauce and oil. They are so flavorful and staste just like sauteed onions.

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Troux
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Florets are the part that goes into the dish. Stalks are the part that go in my mouth while anxiously preparing the dish.

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Ann Coffman
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me too. I do the same thing with cauliflower. My mother used to give us the core to gnaw on, so yummy and full of fiber!

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Daniel (ShadowDrakken)
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who throws away the stalks? They're the best part! And no need to go through all this work either, they cook up just like the florets.

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B
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always buy the broccoli with the largest stems for this reason. It takes a little while to cut the hard skin off and chop the stem into strips, but it's awesome in a stir fry.

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Pezor Zass
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

broccoli stalks are by far the best part! i find the texture of florets kinda gross

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Anne Mitchell
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anything wrong with either eating the stalks still attached to the florets or adding them to the "daily surprise" soup pot? My sister has a pot on her stove to which she adds all sorts of left overs and food odds and ends and makes the most delicious soup.

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Linda Adamo
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that's the only part of broccoli i'll eat. and i eat it raw, like a carrot.

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Lily
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always eat the stalks and all, they are quite flavorful.

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>
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought those were cigarettes in the pan😅

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fuggnuggins
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For sure, no need to waste the stalke, but never did broccoli taste anything even vaguely like sauteed onion. Straight from "no s**t" to "what the f**k are you on about?" Dubious from the outset. This is gonna be quality...

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Niall Mac Iomera
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always cook the stalk, I thought this was a pretty common thing. Tastes nothing like onions though, shockingly, it tastes like broccoli

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Tami
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Broccoli stalks are as nutritious as the heads! Peel them if the outside is woody, then slice them up and eat with dip, like carrot sticks.

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Sally Murray
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought those were cigarettes you were frying on the right. Couldn't figure out why!!!

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Sally Murray
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I swear I thought you were frying cigarettes! Couldn't figure out why!!!

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Nikki Sevven
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They make a delicious slaw too, with soy and sesame-based dressing.

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Nadine Debard
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know many people here who throw away the stalk. What a waste. Personally it's my favourite part, cooked with soy sauce and sesame seed oil.

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Stove and Garden told Bored Panda that working in the restaurant is hard work. "I started at 15 years old bussing tables," he said. "I moved my way toward the kitchen and became an expo at 16, who helps plate food and get the plates ready for the servers to take to the table. I eventually became a line cook at the age of 18. Along the way, I also became a server and a bar-back."

As with most activities, the more you put yourself out, the better you become. "I didn't only stay at one restaurant, instead I worked at a few different styles. I've worked in a dive bar, an authentic Italian / pizza restaurant, a seafood place, and a pub," Stove and Garden recalled.

#2

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If you have any herbs that are dry and dying, add them to some melted butter with garlic and a couple of spices. Mix it up and add it to a ice cube tray. Now you have some great flavor enhancers for your next dish.

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Daniel Gilroy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hang my leftover fresh herbs from a tiny little laundry line mounted under my kitchen cupboards, then crush them and bottle them when they're dry.

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#3

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones When you're measuring out honey, it sucks when it sticks to the spoon. But if you get a very little bit of cooking oil on your finger and coat the spoon with it, the honey will not stick to the spoon.

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Catherine Hankinson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or if you put the spoon in boiling hot water it'll just slide off. Works with any sticky syrup.

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However, at one point the time had come for the man to give up his apron. "The reason why I stopped working in the industry is that I've always been excited to become a father and I wanted to have a job with easier hours."

With that being said, Stove and Garden still values what he head learned in the kitchen. "I loved the social atmosphere it provided me. Most of the time my brothers and I all worked at the same place, so I got to work alongside my brothers as well," he said.

#4

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones Don't waste food! Take vegetable scraps and put it in a pot with some water - you now have a great start to a vegetable stock.

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#5

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones To get the most out of juicing a lemon without a juicer, my favorite method is putting them in between tongs and squeezing.

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Eslamala
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you put them in the microwave x 10-15" it's easier to squeeze them, also

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It has also ignited a passion within him that the man can't seem to put out. "I came up with the idea to do cooking hacks because I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge of cooking with my friends and family. My second TikTok video was a cooking hack video and it blew up overnight," Stove and Garden said.

"I knew after that I needed to post more of them. I knew that it helped a lot of people, and I just really enjoy teaching people and helping them in the kitchen."

#6

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones 9 times out of 10 you can leave the skin on your veggies. Put that peeler away and cut it up like normal. Most of the time chefs only do that because it's more aesthetically pleasing. It's just as delicious and nutritious.

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Lora Mad
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most of the toxins and chemicals are removed via peeling. That's the actual reason people do it. Unfortunately the peels also contain a good portion of the vitamins.

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#7

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones Some people like to put the raw chicken directly into the egg wash, but this really isn't the best option. If you put it into flour first, and then egg wash, the egg wash holds way better, and then your bread crumb will hold way better too.

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tiari
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't that the normal way to do it? Every cook book I ever read (and I have a lot) explains it like this.

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Stove and Garden highlighted that cooks of all skill levels are constantly learning. Not just the beginners. "I have some articles written about me calling me a 'long-time chef' and a few other very nice things. I just don't see it that way," he said. "We all have so much to learn still about cooking."

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"I think the best mindset to have when cooking is just to be humble. Learn from others, teach what you’ve learned, don't be afraid to ask for advice, don't act like there is only one way to cook something, and most importantly don't be afraid to fail. You will burn food. You will make mistakes. Embrace them, and try again. That's the beauty of cooking! Just be humble."

#8

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones This is my favorite way to cut bell peppers: start by cutting off the top and the bottom, then cut a little slit in the pepper. Insert your knife and just roll the pepper as you cut. This cuts out all the seeds that you don't want.

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again, grandma taught me. Starting to think Grandma taught a lot of people !

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#9

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If you get an egg shell lost in your egg, wet your finger before taking it out - it comes out way easier.

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#10

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If your plastic cutting board slides too much, take a wet paper towel, put it underneath the board and it won't slide anymore.

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#11

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If you have pasta that you're trying to strain out you don't have to do it that way - you can put the strainer in the pot and then turn it upside down to strain.

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#12

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If veggies get stuck to your knife, angle your knife and make shorter cuts with just the tip.

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#13

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones To steam shrimp without a steamer, use a pot of boiling water, poke a bunch of holes into aluminum foil and put it on top of the pot.

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#14

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones To keep an avocado fresh for longer, squeeze fresh lemon juice, brush it onto the front of the avocado, take saran wrap and press it tightly against the avocado. Now it won't brown quite as quickly in the refridgerator.

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#15

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones You can mince garlic in a zester or a kitchen grater. It comes out perfect!

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Trillian
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That looks like a bleeding fingertip just waiting to happen. I don't have a lot of extra kitchen stuff, but I do own and often use a garlic press

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#16

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones This one is more of a safety tip than anything else - instead of scooping up veggies with your knife, it's a lot safer to invest in a $1 dough knife and use it. It has a much larger surface area so it's faster at scooping it up and you won't cut yourself.

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#17

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If you put your chicken into a freezer bag, and then use the pounder, you won't have to clean the pounder!

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Hilary James
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve never pounded chicken !! And they call me the poultry queen! Actually nobody calls me that but I do cook a lot of chicken

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#18

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones I love pickles but I hate running out of them. So grab a mason jar - this is how you can make them under 1 hour. Add the liquids to the mason jar and then put the liquids into a pot. Add the rest of the ingredients listed above and bring it to a boil. Cut your cucumber to slices, fill that mason jar all the way to the top, add the boiling water directly to the mason jar and scoop in all that nice dill. Cap it after 1 hour.

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Leo Domitrix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ARGH NO! My grandma atught me how to make amazing pickles, and no. He's doing it fast, but not *best*. You put the spices and herbs in WITH the cucumbers, not last, make sure your lid is boiled to be sterile, make sure you have a good seal, use mitts to handle hot stuff, but pickles taste much better if you let them age a bit, not just boil the cucumbers, IMHO.

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#19

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones In order for lemon zest to not get bitter, use shorter strokes and turn the fruit while zesting.

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#20

Guy Who Used To Work In A Restaurant Shares Priceless Cooking Secrets, And Here Are 20 Of The Best Ones If you don't have a thermometer and you're cooking steak, you can check how well it's done by using your palm.

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